Spam E-Card Injects Trojan in Windows

A warning alerts computer users of a spam scam that disguises as an e-postcard and tries to trick unwary people into downloading a Trojan.

According to Sophos, the messages have the same subject title and also same content. Sophos claims to have tapped bulk of the spam mails. It said by following the link provided in the e-mail, users automatically reach a downloadable executable file, postcard.exe. Sophos has detected this file as Zapchas-A, a Trojan variant compatible with Windows operating system.

After getting installed on the system, the Zapchas-A runs all the time behind the screen. It opens a backdoor server, which could permit a remote attacker to intrude into the system and have full control over the PC through messaging channels.

Since there is no file attachment in the e-mail, some may think it to be innocuous. But today most malicious attacks operate this way - using a combination of e-mail and Web applications to send out a dangerous payload to inboxes resulting in infection of the desktop, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, in a press statement. Sophos published the press release on May 1, 2007.

Organizations need to deploy a comprehensive web gateway security to defend their employees as well as safeguard their desktops and servers, Cluley added in Sophos' news it published on May 1, 2007.

Sophos' last week research showed there was increase in web-based malware in the first quarter of 2007. As computer users get savvier with protection against viruses that are e-mail-aware and malware, hackers have chosen the Web as their platform for attack.

Sophos urges system users to update their anti-virus software, ensure that patches against the most recent Microsoft security vulnerabilities are in place, and never be loose with unsolicited e-mails (they could discard e-mails with irrelevant subjects).

There is constant emergence of malware like Zapchas-A, therefore anti-virus firms ask customers to always keep their anti-virus programs updated. The same firms also recommend corporate businesses to have automatic updates for virus protection at hand and protect their employees against viruses, spyware, spam and hackers by deploying a consolidated solution.